Pyrophoric igntier



A ril 27, 1965 J. P. BRENDER PYRQPHORIC IGNITER Filed Aug. 7, 1963 R e y mm w 6 M C United States Patent 3,180,118 PYROPHORIC IGNI'IER Jack 1P. Brender, 6629 8th Ave., Los Angeles 43, Calif. Filed Aug. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 300,516 3 Claims. (Cl. 67-101) This invention relates to an igniter for use by campers, scouts and others for starting a camp fire.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and improved device that so holds the end of a stranded ignitable cord that fraying thereof and ignition of the frayed end are greatly facilitated, thereby enabling starting of a'small flame which may be applied to prepared tinder and a fire started.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a device of the character above referred to that holds and locates the frayed cord end in the path of sparks drawn from a pyrophoric element secured to the device in close adjacency to the cord-holding and locating means of the device.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a broken and partly sectional side view of an igniter according to the present invention, the same being shown in igniting position.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is an end view.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the cordholding and locating portion of the device.

The igniter that is illustrated comprises, generally, a body 5, means 6 on an end of said body for holding and locating the end 7 of a length of ignitable cord 3 that, for convenience, is wrapped around the body, and a pyrophoric element 9 secured to the top of the body which, when struck by a sharp instrument such as a knife blade 10, will ignite the frayed portion 11 of the cord end '7.

The body is preferably elongated and formed of a material that is not ignitable, rigid synthetic resin being preferred. The same is here shown as a hollow shell having especially a top wall 12 and an end wall 13. Whether there are side walls or not is not material. FIGS. 1 and 3 show the body 5 as provided with a loop 14 which may be provided to adapt the device for use as a neckerchief slide, thereby being readily available for use as a fire starter. Said loop 1 has the important function of providing a point of support or contact with a fiat surface 15, the other support point comprising the means 6 in the edge 16 of said end wall 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the loop 14 cooperates with the edge 16 to dispose the body 5 at an angle with the top wall 12 thereof sloping downwardly toward the end wall 13.

The means 6 is shown as a notch in the edge 16 of end wall 13, the same being rather shallow so as to pinch the cord end 7 against the surface 15, thereby holding said cord end as located in said notch. Said notch is preferably centered with respect to the sides of the body.

The body is shown with a restricted portion 17 around which the cord 8 may be wrapped. Preparatory to fraying the cord end 7 and igniting the same, a short length 3,186,118 Patented Apr. 27, 1965 of the cord is unwound from the wrappings thereof, passed through the loop 14, as shown and, with about an inch of cord extending forwardly from the notch 6, the device is held with one hand, as in FIG. 1, to clamp said cord end. While so held, a sharp instrument, such as the blade 10a, is stroked along the cord end 7 fraying the same to produce the fluff or fuzz 11. Such fraying strokes cause the frayed end 11 to curl in an upward direction with the end strands partly rearwardly curled. be understood that the frayed cord end 11 will, in practice, curl upwardly to a level substantially above that of the body wall 12, in any case, at least to said level.

The cord 8 is advatageously made of loosely twisted fibers of readily ignitable material such as linen or cotton which, of course, must be dry and reasonably clean. The fluff or fuzz of such is quite efiicient as tinder.

The pyrophoric element 9 is shown as an elongated and longitudially arranged piece that, in any suitable manner, is aflixed to the wall 12 adjacent to the end wall 13. Said element is preferably aligned with the notch 6 and, therefore, is aligned with the cord end 7 and its frayed fuzzy portion 11.

By stroking top of the element 9 with the sharp edge of the knife blade 10 in the direction of the arrow 18, sparks 19 are directed into the mass. of fluff, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Several such strokes may be required to ignite the fluff which will produce a flame that may be applied to the prepared tinder before mentioned.

Since the cord is pinched by the notch 6, the end of the same that is ignited can burn only to the place where the pinching occurs, rendering the device safe but, as above described, effective for producing a fire-starting flame.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by letters Patent is:

1. An igniter comprising:

(a) an elongated hollow unignitable body having an end wall provided in its bottom edge with a shallow notch to clamp a length of frayable cord against a support surface with a portion of said cord extending beyond said wall,

(b) a pyrophoric element afiixed to the outside of the top of said body in longitudinal alignment with said notch and which, when struck along its length in a direction toward and beyond the notch, generates sparks directed longitudinally beyond said end wall to ignite said cord portion after the same has been frayed to form flufi? disposed in the path of said sparks, and

(c) an extension on an intermediate portion of the body and cooperating with said wall edge to dispose the body and the pyrophoric element thereon angularly with respect to the support surface when clamping a cord to cause the spark to follow an angular path intersecting the line of disposition of the frayed cord end.

2. An igniter comprising:

(a) an elongated body formed as a shell of unignitable and rigid material having a transverse restricted por-' tion spaced from one end of the body and forming a groove, and having a wall at said end with a shallow notch in the edge of said wall,

(b) a length of ignitable cord wrapped around the body and occupying the restriction groove therein, an end t will' a '3 4 of said cord, when unwound from the body, being from the mentioned end wall, said extension and the adapted to be clamped between said notch and an clamping edge of said wall combining "to form spaced engaging surface with the mentioned Wall edge surface-engaging supports that dispose the body at an pressed against said surface, the mentioned cord end upward and rearward angle from the mentioned wall edge extending beyond the mentioned end of the body and, 5 to dispose the pyrophoric element at a corresponding 'when frayed, forming upwardly curled fluff, and angle for directingv the spark to the fluff. (c) an elongated pyrophoric element disposed longitudinally and aflixed to the top of the body between the Refiei'miesv 535195 y the Examine! mentioned restricted portion and end wall thereof UNITED STATES PATENTS and, when struck along itsIength in a direction to- 10 947,438 1/10 Feldkamp ward the end wall, generating sparks directed longr- 1,394,437 10/21 French 67*71 tudinally beyond said body end Wall to ignite said 1 755 494 4 30' Arm-Son 7 fluff 2,521,180 9/50 Morse 677.1

3. An, igniter according to claim 2 in which is provided an extension from the bottom of the body and spaced 15 EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

2. AN IGNITER COMPRISING: (A) AN ELONGATED BODY FORMED AS A SHELL OF UNIGNITABLE AND RIGID MATERIAL HAVING A TRANSVERSE RESTRICTED PORTION SPACED FROM ONE END OF THE BODY AND FORMING A GROOVED, AND HAVING A WALL AT SAID END WITH A SHALLOW NOTCH IN THE EDGE OF SAID WALL, (B) A LENGHTH OF IGNITABLE CORD WRAPPED AROUND THE BODY AND OCCUPYING THE RESTRICTION GROOVE THEREIN, AND END OF SAID CORD, WHEN UNWOUND FROM THE BODY, BEING ADAPTED TO BE CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID NOTCH AND AN ENGAGING SURFACE WITH THE MENTIONED WALL EDGE PRESSED AGAINST SAID SURFACE, THE MENTIONED CORD END, EXTENDING BEYOND THE MENTIONED END OF THE BODY AND, WHEN FRAYED, FORMING UPWARDLY CURLED FLUFF, AND (C) AN ELONGATED PYROPHORIC ELEMENT DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY AND AFFIXED TO THE TOP OF THE BODY BETWEEN THE MENTIONED RESTRICTED PORTION AND END WALL THEREOF AND, WHEN STRUCK ALONG ITS LENGTH IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE END WALL, GENERATING SPARKS DIRECTED LONGITUDINALLY BEYOND SAID BODY END WALL TO IGNITE SAID FLUFF. 